AJC Urges Investigation of White House Official Sebastian Gorka

NEW YORK, April 4, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC calls on the administration to look into new revelations about Sebastian Gorka's past. They raise serious concerns about his current role as deputy assistant and advisor on counterterrorism to President Donald J. Trump, and as a member of the administration's Strategic Initiatives Group.

From 2002 to 2007, Gorka was involved in Hungarian politics and journalism on the far right of the political spectrum. A new party he helped found in 2007, the New Democratic Coalition, announced its intention not only to advocate for "conservative values," but also to bring "Christianity into the Constitution." Significantly, his associates in launching the party were former members of Jobbik, an outright racist and anti-Semitic group.

More recently, evidence has emerged of Gorka's ties with Vitézi Rend, a pro-Nazi Hungarian group organized during World War II. He has worn the group's medal and has signed his name with a "v", symbolizing the group. Leaders of the organization have claimed him as a member.

Moreover, a 2007 video has surfaced in which Gorka declared support for the Hungarian Guard, known for their black vests, extreme Hungarian nationalism, and anti-Semitism. The European Court of Human Rights has condemned the Guard as racist. According to American immigration laws, membership in it constitutes grounds for denial of admission to the United States.